Fight Censorship

Archive for May, 2006

OK, we arrived in Chicago friday afternoon 17:30. SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) met us at the baggage area and told us they had fouled the baggage in Copenhagen and one of our suitcases was missing. Oh goody. All my wife’s clothes gone. 400 dollars and 45 hours later the case caught us up at the hotel and finally we can begin our holiday. I think now I can write my first blues number, it’s going to be called “Lost luggage blues”!We found the Blue Chicago Blues Club on North State last night, and had a great night.I can recommend the Club Quarters Hotel on East Wacker Drive. Excellent service and real friendly staff. Weather is hot and sticky, low to middle 20’s by night. Thank the good lord for air conditioning. Two more days here then on to Clarksdale.Things are looking up!

We’re off to the USA to hear the blues played the way it should be. Chicago, then Clarksdale, on to the delta, then Memphis and finally back to Chicago for the blues festival. See y’all again in about seventeen days.

The pakistani religious policemen are at it again.This time championing christianity, and especially catholicism, by promising to demonstrate on friday, after prayers of course, against the release of Dan Brown’s “Da Vinci Code” – the film.Death to the (anti-catholic) infidel? I doubt it. It just sounds like another excuse to burn something and show their religious indignation. Maybe, to try to convince the infidel west that they can also get in a huff over anything religious other than just drawings of Mo?

I think it all comes down to something else. We have had a film about the suffering of Christ, we have had the Motoons, the next logical event must be a film about the life of Mohammed. Monty Python springs to mind. Call it “The life of Mo.” I see Johnny Depp as Mo, and Halle berry as Aysha. The whole thing could be shot in Pakistan and directed by Stephen Spielberg and John Cleese. There would be no problem with getting extras to scream and swing swords and run through the sand. And the wardrobe costs would be minimal. Marvellous. A tale of love, passion, pædofilia and boundless murder in the desert. Better than Lawrence of Arabia.Guaranteed, a box office biggie.

The business world in pakistan is not so shy about these things. I found an article from Reuters explaining that there is expected to be a rush to get the Da Vinci film and that there are orders backed up. One guy said that they are expecting to sell hundreds of copies and this despite, quote: “that the first prints are not good quality”. Which means that the DVD pirates are already up their necks in orders.It isn’t only the muslims who are up and jumping on this. The 10% christian population is also expected (required?) to join in with the planned spontaneous rioting on Friday, because they are afraid that the film will cause “misunderstandings” about their faith.

I find it all rather amusing. These people who probably have not read the book, have not yet seen the film and probably don’t know who Dan Brown or Leonardo da Vinci is or was, can get so hot under the collar about something so meaningless.But OK, I don’t understand soccer hooliganism either. So who am I to pass judgement? I just know it’s unpleasant and unjustifiable.

If you want to read a bit more on Dan Brown’s research, I found this. Don’t go there unless you have a half hour to spend reading it.And don’t forget to watch the evening news tomorrow, wherever you are.

Both the Jerusalem Times and Haaretz are carrying the same story today concerning the new peace proposals from Palestinian P.M. Ismail Haniyeh. He would like to see the Israelis go back in time to the sixties mode of peace and love. Frankly, I can’t quite envisage Palestinian terrorists running round with flowers down their gun barrels but Haniyeh is promising a lot here. Perhaps too much. This from Haaretz:

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh stated on Tuesday that an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders would result in peace between the two peoples. The Palestinian prime minister said that the Hamas-led PA would be willing to engage in a long-term, renewable ceasefire agreement if Israel withdraws. He also stated that his government was willing to engage in talks with Israel on practical, though not ideological or political matters, and was surprised that, according to the prime minister, Israel did not reciprocate.

Well, I’m not surprised. I don’t quite understand how Hamas will control and tether all the other fractions of palestinian terrorism. The Al-aqsa mob, Fatah’s murderers, Hizbollah and the plethora of other fanatics that hang around in the area. Fatah couldn’t even control their own forces under Arafat, so how would they be able to respect a Hamas cease-fire? Unless Haniyeh has something else planned with his newly formed security forces? If so, then he should come out and say so. Perhaps he has hinted at something here:

Haniyeh told Haaretz that his government represented all Palestinians, not just Hamas, and thus issues concerning the Hamas charter – i.e. the failure to recognize Israel – should not matter.

That is a mouthful for the P.M. Suddenly, he represents all palestinians? The charter should not matter? Is Hamas about to shift it’s position? According to one Hamas cabinet spokesman:

“With time we will suit our positions to reality and change, but under no circumstances will we do so under the pressure of a siege and only in order to get money.”

With time?. Why not now? If the Israelis were to withdraw, what would they be getting as assurances of continued peace? A ceasefire is not enough. It has to be a peace settlement. Once and for all. I have said before, that Haniyeh could be the man to pull it off. He could write himself into history as the one who made peace with Israel. But it will require a lot more than vague promises of a cease fire in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal to its pre-1967 borders. If he can truly manage the terrorists, one and all, if he can control the minor brigades and the suicide bombers, then he should start now and then go forward. Showing Israel that he can uphold law and order and disarm these fractions would be a huge plus for him internationally and a huge incentive for Israel. It is high time that the palestinians made the first moves toward a peace settlement.

Now is the time Mr. Haniyeh. Put your peace plan where your mouth is.Carpe Diem.

The big story in Denmark today is probably the public revelation, that France, Germany and Italy have actually paid ransom money to islamic groups to get their hostages released. While it may be a big story, it is not a big surprise. The Times has the past statements from these wimp governments and the figures:

WHAT THEY SAID:

FRANCEWhen Florence Aubenas was freed in June 2005 a government spokesman, Jean-François Cope, said: “There was absolutely no demand for money. No ransom was paid.”

ITALYOn January 30 this year Gianfranco Fini, then Italian Foreign Minister, denied that Italy paid between $6m and S10m to free Giuliana Sgrena. “Italy did not pay any ransom to obtain the freedom of Giuliana Sgrena in Iraq or any other hostage. There is never a quid pro quo.”

GERMANYFrank Walter Steinmeier, the German Foreign Minister, was asked if paying a ransom for Susanne Osthoff had compromised the security of other German hostages. He replied: “The problem is not ransom payments, but the reporting of them.” That was seen in Germany as indirect confirmation that ransoms were paid.

GERMANY $8 millionSusanne Ostloff: taken November 25, 2005, and freed three weeks later. Ransom $3 millionRene Braunlich and Thomas Nitzschke: taken January 24, 2006, and freed on May 2. Ransom $5 million.

That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is forty four million dollars in the pockets of the terrorists.That is forty four million dollars worth of extended terrorism and weapons that will be pointing at you and me.

That is treason.

These governments have made it profitable for terrorist groups to kidnap people and have given the worst possible kind of encouragement for them to continue doing so.

More than 250 foreigners have been abducted since the US-led invasion in 2003. At least 44 have been killed; 135 were released, three escaped, six were rescued and the fate of the others remains unknown.

I am the victim of illegal immigration. Yes, my own piece of the world has been invaded by an unauthorised being that is now happily living in my garden. Uninvited, unwanted and definitely persona non grata on my property. He moves around constantly. He digs up my garden by night, mostly my lawn. It used to be a nice lawn. Flat and well kept. Now it looks like the Somme in 1916. He is a cunning enemy. He has defied all my efforts to trap and kill him. He pays no rent. He gives me nothing but headaches. I now have the greatest respect for him. He is called TALPA EUROPAEA. The common european mole. He is my new “raison d’etre”.He moved in about a year ago, in my little 206 year old property in the other end of Denmark, some 150 Kilometres from where I usually live. I bought the house as a weekend retreat for myself and my all too busy wife. The garden was lovely and the lawn was great. Right out of “Wind in the Willows”. So is the mole.Our neighbour is a farm. We are surrounded by wheat fields. When the farmer ploughed his field, the mole, having been disturbed, moved into my lawn. Cunning little beasts, they recognise a trap at once, digging round it to avoid it. They make many burrows and tunnels to confuse the enemy. You never know which one they are currently using. They do not come up to the surface. You never see them. You see the damage they can do, but never the mole. It is breeding season for moles now, so my mole is apparently feeling the need to show that he is a big strong mole. The digging activity is absolutely astonishing. Show off.

How do moles get together? They live underground. Do they have a mole dating service or something? I mean, how do these solitary subterranean creatures meet? The odds against a hot mole date are enormous. And who finds whom? Is it the male mole that goes out and finds a mate or the other way round? I wish my mole would take a night out on the town and stay out. Hell, I’ll even pay for the mole beer.I will get the little illegal interloper. I will. It is only a matter of time and perseverance. If nothing else works, then I will outlive him and dig the whole damn lawn up and replant it over his dead carcass.

Until then I will continue to try and trap the furry fellow, or poison him with prepared worms, or plant mole mines, or shoot randomly into the lawn with a gun until I hit him.

You may have the upper hand now mole, but hear this: I have declared war on you.

I found an article by Bradley Burston on the Haaretz website.The story concerns a little incident on the road to Galilee. Why does that sound familiar?

We were driving in the Galilee, waiting for a red light to change, when they came up to the car. Their smiles were engagingly open as they wished us a fine trip. Then they offered us the flyer. Jews for Jesus. Who says that evil can’t be imported, and delivered, free of charge, direct to your car door? Don’t get me wrong. The members of Jews for Jesus are pure souls. They are among the most wholesome, guileless, truly well-meaning, fundamentally lovely people you will ever meet. More’s the pity, therefore, that there’s a special place in hell just for them.

And frankly, I agree with him. Let me explain. When I reached the end of my teenage life and began life as an adult, society demanded that I take responsibility for my life and my actions. Fine by me. I had waited long enough for my free will, to be free to do as I would do. Make my own decisions. Go where I would go. I had to make some choices in life for myself. One thing that became very clear was that I would have to find out how I would behave and what I could believe in, or disbelieve, and make my own mind up about what was right and wrong, good or bad. It is basic if one is to live a good life. It is called conviction. All this makes me the person I am, according to my own decisions and beliefs. That is mine. Adult, responsible decisions. And if you don’t like the decisions I made, then you probably wouldn’t like the person that made them. But hey, that’s your decision. And I don’t care. Live and let live. What I believe, or do not believe is entirely my business. And what you believe is yours. And that is why I agreee with Bradley Burston. There is a special place in hell for anyone who will not respect that.Bradley continues with this mini-broadside of common sense:

Make no mistake, I believe that these Christians must have every freedom to worship Jesus as their lord and messiah, perform every ritual, celebrate every holiday that they see fit. If they want to do Born-again Kiddush and Last Supper Kneidelach and Savior Shalosh S’eudes – gezunterheit.[…………]But bear with me for one brief moment, if only to read the next sentence, which has specifically to do with you, as well as with your Jewish prey, thousands of years of Jewish history, and evil:

Proselytizing is persecution.

Yes. It is. I remember being “missionised” by a Jehova’s witness who knocked on my door and told me I would go to hell if I didn’t convert. I asked him if he had ever considered changing his beliefs. “No”. he said. I asked him why then, would he assume that I would? I then told him to go to hell, and leave me alone. According to him, I’m eternal toast. According to me, so’s he. The good lord, Wakan-Tanka, Manitou, Vishnu or whatever, will sort me out when the time comes, and that will also be between me and her and be nobody else’s business.Think how pleasant this world would be, if we all kept what we each individually believe to ourselves. Why do others want me to convert, or believe what they believe, do as they do? They made their choice. I have made mine. I will not move from it, I don’t expect them too either. And I will not force them to do otherwise, condemn them or kill them for it. I don’t care what you believe in. Just don’t ask me to believe it, or try to force me to. That’s your decision and I respect it. Respect mine.A last note from Bradley Burston:

…. you may well be thinking: This guy sounds riled. He needs a friend in Jesus. You’re thinking wrong. This guy needs you to keep your salvation to yourself.Believe whatever you want. Practice whatever you preach.Just stay the hell away from us.

Let me reiterate, “Just stay the hell away from us.” Yeah, stay away from Bradley. And me. Let us believe what we choose to believe. It is our choice. Each to his own.

Imagine if you will, a cold evening. Bad weather. You sit happy in your armchair surrounded by your family and think how glad you are that you are warm and dry in your own house.There’s a knock at the door and when you open it, you find a guy, cold and wet, who explains he’s lost, homeless, penniless, being chased by a pack of hungry wolves and he doesn’t think he’ll make it to tomorrow, and can you help him? OK. You’re a nice guy, you invite him in and bring him to the fire so he can warm himself. You pull up a chair and tell him to sit. Then he says ” I don’t much like your colour scheme. You’ll have to repaint. Move the couch, I don’t like it there where it is. Tell your wife to cook me something now. Your daughter is whore. Half the money you earn is now mine. Give it to me. That dog will have to go. I want my own room in your house. Turn off the T.V. You will be in bed by 10 P.M. That armchair you are sitting in is now mine. Bring me new clothes and tell your wife to wash these. Clean my boots. I demand that you respect me. You will worship no other God than my God…..”

How long would it be, before you grabbed him by the neck and threw him back out through the door?

More on this ECRI thing. I love it when I’m right, so here goes! Apart from my little attempt to drive the back the rampant insurgency that Denmark is suffering, the government is maybe doing its bit as well. I no longer feel quite so alone. Jyllands Posten carried this in english today, which makes my job a lot easier!

Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen knows exactly where he is going to file the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance’s latest review of Denmark: in the dustbin.

Well done Anders. It isn’t quite what I had in mind but close enough. I really like this gutsy dane.

The ECRI released its third report about Denmark on Tuesday. Despite its praise for the progress made since the 2001 report, the new review bashed the government for not implementing several previous recommendations. In addition, it found that ‘the general climate has continued to deteriorate in Denmark, with some politicians and parts of the media constantly projecting a negative image of minority groups in general, and Muslims in particular‘.

Well, I got through all that yesterday, so no need for further comment here. Except, perhaps to offer my congratulations and to warm my dear old heart with the fact, that at least Denmark isn’t taking it lying down any more. Could it be, that the danes really are putting up a little resistance? It sure looks that way.

The government was also blasted for cosying up to the anti-immigrant Danish People’s Party.Rasmussen, however, was quick to point out that the complaints didn’t hold water: ‘The report is so riddled with errors that it can’t be taken seriously.’‘Their ECRI bases their report on hearsay. Even though the government can prove that it is factually wrong, they didn’t listen to us.’

We are getting used to that in Europe. The people say one thing, the Brussels mob says and does another. Democracy? No. Political correctness? Yes. Have they gone stark staring, barking, unequivocally mad? Yes.The article continues:

In a 13-page reply posted on the website of the Ministry of Immigration, the government identified 24 ‘errors and inaccuracies’ and 20 ‘politicised and/or undocumented claims and recommendations’, as well as 10 comments to the report’s findings about Denmark’s compliance with international treaties.The immigration minister, Rikke Hvilshøj, pointed out that Denmark was not the only country to be criticised by the ECRI.‘Other ECRI country reports have pointed out that the tone of the public debate and in the political arena is hostile to foreigners. The tone should in no way be hostile, but it is necessary to discuss the challenges that all European countries are facing when it comes to integration.’

“24 errors and inaccuracies…20 politicised and/or undocumented claims..” And I pay tax for this twaddle? Yes there has to be a discussion. And that discussion means that you need some opposition. Otherwise there is no debate, merely compliance. Denmark has decided to oppose brussels thinking. Outrageous. Whatever next? Let’s hear what one of the authors of this reprehensible piece of inaccurate, undocumented pile of paper has to say:

Eva Smith, the chair of the ECRI, said the government’s reaction showed that integration was a sore point for it.‘Much of what the government calls ‘mistakes’ are different evaluations of facts,’ she said to daily newspaper Berlingske Tidende.‘When the ECRI says that not enough has been done to promote integration on the job market, the government says, ‘That’s wrong, we’ve done a whole bunch.’ So has what you’ve done worked? We’re talking about different views of the fact that there aren’t enough foreigners working in Denmark.’She called Rasmussen’s rejection of the report ‘arrogant’ but admitted that it may have included some mistakes.

“Different evaluations of facts”?… Oh, you mean those undocumented, politicised errors type facts? Right. I get it now. But I wholeheartedly agree with her on this; “there aren’t enough foreigners working in Denmark”. They’re just here in Denmark. I know. I am forced, by taxation, to pay for them to be here not working. Tax extracted by the Danish government. And then “redistributed” to the non-working foreigners who are here, in Denmark. Understand? Or did I overstate it?

OK, she couldn’t very well call Anders Fogh Rasmussen a racist so she called him “arrogant” instead. Why? Because he dares to reject the leftist nonsense. Not compliant with Brussels thought police. Oh dear. And she is wrong. A lot has been done, even to the point of positive discrimination in the working arena. I hate to repeat myself so I will simply point out that horses and water come to mind. We have tried the carrot and it wasn’t halal enough. So now we are trying the other thing. The “you don’t get anything out until you put something in” thing. However, I will give her a last chance to express and redeem herself:

Well hallelujah. That makes it alright then. How about repudiating the whole document and striking it from the record in Brussels? No, probably not. It will remain in the Brussels archives as an official Brussels declaration of Denmark’s “arrogant” unwillingness to comply and will be used later when all the hoo-ha has died away. But somehow I can’t quite get rid of the thought, that Denmark is on the right track here. If you have to resort to half-truths and disinformation to complete your “report” and make your arguement sound viable, then you have lost the debate.Denmark 1, Brussels 0.

No dhimmitude here, thankyou.

Now move along all you other europeans. There’s too much to be seen here.